North Myrtle Beach/Little River – October 2022
Patrick, of Captain Smiley Fishing Charters, reports that flounder season on the North Carolina side has been a big focus for anglers, as larger fish (to 24”) are being caught on a variety of live baits, Gulp baits, and Vudu shrimp.
Red drum are in an early fall pattern where they are staged up around inshore structure and feeding on live shrimp or cut mullet. Anglers will have success targeting docks, oyster beds, and downed trees along the shoreline.
Speckled trout action is still slowly picking up, but it’s really waiting for water temperatures to cool. Drifting live shrimp has produced some bites.
Recent calm nearshore conditions have been great for getting out to target spanish mackerel. Schools are being found near the jetty rocks and out along the beaches. It helps to target the bait pods, which many times will also have birds diving on them. Both casting and fishing live baits has been successful for this larger class of spanish (3-5 lbs.).
Out at the nearshore reefs, anglers are finding really good flounder action, as well as bluefish and a few smaller cobia.
Bob, of Strange Magic Fishing Charters, reports that with so much live bait in the area, it has seemed that artificial bait offerings have stood out a little more for the hungry flatties. The larger Gulp in white or chartreuse, as well as Z-Man in silver sparkle, have been some really productive baits. On lower tides, target deeper holes back in creeks that will concentrate the fish. On higher tide cycles, work the shorelines of these same creeks and out along the ICW.
Inshore redfish are still holding in smaller pods. They are hitting the same artificial and natural bait offerings used by flounder anglers.
There are a handful of bull red drum being caught out at the jetties, but not in any large numbers yet. Live mullet or pogies rigged on 3-4 oz. shortened Carolina rigs are the go-to setup for this bite.
Black drum are being caught around ICW docks with fresh or live shrimp. The most productive docks are those that are near marsh drains and outlets of creeks.
Speckled trout action is still pretty hit or miss. Popping corks rigged with live shrimp or artificials will be the hot ticket for this early fall bite. Target their usual fall spots along the ICW and towards the backs of creeks around shell banks near deeper water.
Chris, of Fine Catch Fishing Charters, reports that on the nearshore reefs there has been a good push of larger flounder (18-25”). Live bait has been best, with anglers getting strikes on mullet, pogies, and baby croakers (in the 3-7” range) on Carolina rigs. The larger fish have been staged around the barges and bigger structure.
Anglers fishing the jetties have found a nice variety of flounder, red drum, speckled trout, and spanish.
Redfish are also being caught on the same shrimp and cork setup, with some over-slot fish hitting Carolina-rigged baits outside the rocks or around the channel. The top bait choices have been live pogies or cut baits (pogies, bluefish, or mullet). These bigger reds aren’t a part of the bigger bull red drum run that should come shortly, but mostly local fish pushing out with all the bait.
Spanish mackerel will be all through the area jumping and chasing the schools of mullet. Anglers can garner a lot of success finding an area to anchor up and chum live mullet. When fish start breaking around the boat, pitch a live mullet or any topwater bait.
The backwater action has been strong for red drum, flounder, and trout.
The reds are really spread out as they feed on all the bait in the area. Focus on areas you see large schools of bait moving through. Normally this is grass edges, around oyster mounds, deeper creek mouths, and natural creek mouth corners. Artificials such as Gulp and Vudu shrimp have has success, as have topwater plugs or Carolina-rigged live bait. These same areas will also produce flounder and speckled trout.
Speckled trout action has been more consistent in the deeper channels and around oyster mounds or sandbars. This is both in the ICW and offset creeks. Using a slip cork rig to drift live shrimp works great, but if you’re attracting too many “junk” fish, switch over to live mullet or Vudu shrimp. When drifting live shrimp, don’t be surprised to pick up scattered black drum.
Bevan, of Chilly Water Fishing, reports that really nice-sized black sea bass are being caught around structure in the 70-90’ range. There are vermilion snapper mixed in with them, but most of the bigger ones have still been holding deeper (in the 100-115’ range).
Those 100-120’ bottoms are still holding plenty of nice triggerfish.
Grouper fishing has been pretty solid recently, with some fish coming from bottoms as shallow as 85’.
Water temperatures have started to fall, but anglers are still picking away at the occasional mahi while anchored up.
Larry, of Voyager Fishing Charters, reports that offshore bottom fishing has been phenomenal. Structure in the 120’+ range is just loaded with a variety of grouper, grunts, large triggerfish, porgies, hog snapper, rainbow runners, and large vermilion snapper.
Structure in close to the beach is holding plenty of black sea bass and porgies.
Nearshore trolling action has been really good for spanish mackerel, with big schools right off the beach.
Chris, of Cherry Grove Pier, reports that anglers are having a lot of success sight-casting to schools of spanish mackerel and bluefish pushing around the pier.
Anglers fishing live baits off the end are starting to see some good-sized kings move in close, and anglers bottom fishing are catching croakers, whiting, spots, and some flounder.
Lynn, of Apache Pier, reports that anglers are doing well catching both spanish mackerel and some bluefish while casting jigs at the schools.
Some nice flounder have also been mixed in for anglers bottom fishing.
